Workshops, Restshops & Classes
Upcoming Workshops:
Meet Caitlin
Three years ago I was the poster child for everything they teach actors about ‘working the grind.’ Only, I didn’t just want to be an actor, I wanted to change the world, so I started my own theatre company and worked myself to the bone alongside my ‘real’ job. Despite the company’s mission being grounded in cultivating artist well-being, I was burning out on a regular basis. My joy for the work took a nosedive, and I started wondering if I should quit.
After six years, I hit a wall. I hibernated the company and moved to London where I undertook an MFA program to try to figure out: Why did burnout seem inevitable in my profession? While I researched and taught in various academic settings, I started intentionally centering my rest and wellbeing. The results of this year-long practice were profoundly transformational.
Since returning to the U.S., I have taught educators and actors in workshops and one-on-ones, and have joined the faculty at The Actors Conservatory where I teach graduating actors to befriend burnout, to clarify and define their vision for their work, and to map a path forward that centers their rest and sustained wellbeing.
But most importantly, I guide educators and creatives back to themselves. Weaving together exercises in creative engagement, vision mapping, and rest, we re-establish that YOU are your most trustworthy source of wisdom, and that despite the scarcity narratives we’ve been told, you hold within you infinite possibilities. You are, indeed, enough.
Workshops for Arts Organizations
I’m available to teach workshops for actors, teachers, and creatives at your school or organization! I have taught workshops across Oregon, California, and abroad, including at The Actors Conservatory, Lewis & Clark College, the University of Portland, at several Portland high schools, and in London at Rose Bruford College and The Royal Central School for Speech and Drama.
Below are a few of the workshops I have taught – but don’t let that stop you from dreaming. Got something in mind based on my skillset? Send me an email and let’s talk about it.
Resilient! Building Your Creative Life
Have you been wondering how you’re going to build a creative life for yourself, post-graduation? Does it ever feel like choosing a creative path means sacrificing your wellbeing? Do you wonder if your dreams are too far-fetched, too outlandish to pursue?
In this workshop — or restshop, rather — we unpack what it means to build a sustainable, nourishing, joyful creative life. Through games, dialogue, guided journaling, and collective rest, we will explore what resilience might look like within your creative career, and how to cultivate it. You will learn how to speak the ‘love language’ of your nervous system, aiding in your efforts to navigate stress and burnout. And finally, you will practice crafting an artists’ vision statement for you and your work, which serves as a guide for building a creative life that aligns with your values and boundaries.
Befriending Burnout & Sustaining Love for Your Creative Work
How do we know when we’re stuck in burnout? Moreover, why does it seem like burnout goes hand-in-hand with being an artist? Is there anything we can do about it? An overview on creative burnout, the socio-cultural factors that contribute to it, and how we can build resiliency.
Why Rest Feels Scary: Or, what actors need to know about their nervous system
As artists, why do we sometimes feel scared, anxious, or guilty when we try to rest? Learn the love language of your nervous system as articulated by polyvagal theory, and gain tools to calm and regulate yourself as you encounter stress as an artist.
Normalizing Consent & Boundaries in the Acting Classroom
What if we could navigate consent & boundaries in the acting classroom with ease? An introduction to tools crafted by Theatrical Intimacy Education.
Acting Techniques to Fall Back on When You’re Just Not Feeling It
So you’re having trouble feeling what your character is feeling – but what if this actually FREES you to make bolder, more creative choices in your acting? A framed exploration of Anne Bogart’s Viewpoints & Composition Technique.
Introduction to Frantic Assembly Devising Techniques
What if physically devised theatre was accessible and straightforward to learn? An introduction to devising techniques created by Frantic Assembly, a UK-based theatre company.
How to THRIVE at College Auditions
What if you could navigate your college and university auditions with ease, presence, and even JOY? Learn how to regulate your nervous system and consistently tap into presence.
CONTACT
I work and live on the unceded lands of the Clackamas people, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, and the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla people, known by its colonial name of Portland, OR.
© 2022 Caitlin Lushington
Rest & Love in Creative Living
Let's chat! In this email "newsletter," I respond to your questions on finding sustainability and creative fulfillment in our wild and challenging industry. I'll also send along stories, musings, and other bits of inspiration. Submit your questions to caitlinlushington@gmail.com.